Book Review!

I just finished a really great book about Apple, yes the company, and I wanted to share it! It is called "Inside Apple : How America's Most Admired - and Secretive -  Company Really Works", by Adam Lashinsky. It is an honest look into the company and how Steve Jobs built it and ran it.

Mr. Lashinsky does an amazing job of getting the reader to see Apple for what it is. He lets us see how Apple set itself apart from the rest, and why it has worked for so long. The book also delves into the company's future and new executive employees.

It is really incredible to see the tactics that Mr. Jobs employed throughout the company. What makes this book so stand out, is that the author actually was able to speak with many former employees. Without giving away too much, one of the major characteristics of the company and its employees is its' secrecy. If they are developing a product, the design department will only know about their own information, they won't know anything from the other departments. The secrecy is so intense that in a note about the interviews he conducted, Lashinsky says that some employees were as hesitant to be quoted praising the company as they were criticizing it.

It took me a while to get through the book only because I've been so busy but I give it a 5/5. It is worth reading if you're an Apple fan or even interested in just the company and how it became so successful.

Currently Reading: May

I thought I would do something a little different and do a post about what I am reading this month. I am one of those people who can read two different books at the same time. I don't know why but it doesn't seem to confuse me. Although if it is a really good book or a more difficult book to read, I'll stick with one.

This month I have been reading the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Inside Apple by Adam Lashinsky. Truthfully, I started the Happiness Project in April and I just started Inside Apple today.
I am really enjoying both books though; they are subjects I hadn't ever planned on reading about.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin started with a bus ride and a Aha! moment. She wanted to test different aspects of life and see how and why they made her happy, and ultimately if they could make her happier. She sets up a year long project and assigns different aspects like fun, money, friends, and love to each month.

It is a pretty genius idea, and it has branched off into her offering templates and plans on how to do your own project. At 22, I don't really think I'm ready to tackle such a big thing. I'm still figuring out what makes me happy in the first place, I don't really want to start questioning it, but the book has given me some great ways to improve my mood.

Ms. Rubin does a lot of research so it isn't just hearsay, there is an actual basis for everything she is doing within her project.

Today, I started Inside Apple by Adam Lashinsky and I'm pretty impressed almost 3 chapters in. It is not a look into Steve Jobs so much as it is a look into what Apple as a company has done to run as a business and how those tactics have made them so successful. We get a great look into the atmosphere of the employees and the headquarters. We do see a lot of Steve Jobs and how he made choices and how he truly decided to run Apple, but the book delves into so much more.

Like I said, I'm only 3 chapters in but I think it will be pretty amazing to see inside a company that has more money than our country.

What are you guys reading? I have such a large pile of books to still read and an even bigger list on Barnes and Noble that I've yet to buy!

[Pictures from Barnes and Noble's website - bn.com]